1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical clamps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The piercing of blood vessels, namely arteries and veins, is necessary at times for obtaining specimens for analysis, administration of fluids and medications, transfusion of blood, etc. It takes a considerable amount of skill to be able to locate the conduit, immobilize it, and then insert a needle or intravenous tube so as to minimize patient discomfort.
There are multiple problems inherent in this procedure. These conduits, especially veins, are difficult to hold steady. They tend to "roll" (move laterally) when a needle or tube is inserted. If the needle or tube does get inserted into the vein, the vein may collapse. If the needle is inserted and then advanced, the needle may go through an additional wall of the vein, because of the serpentine nature of this type of blood vessel. Then the blood in the vein, or the intravenous fluid being introduced, extravasates into the surrounding tissues, causing swelling, bruising and pain.
When these events occur, it is necessary to start again. Because of these multiple punctures, the patient may: experience more discomfort and anxiety, be subject to an increased chance for infection, and have a decreased number of sites available for immediate intravenous access. Multiple punctures also require additional operator time and increased medical expenses, because of the extra supplies required.
The operator may try to immobilize the vein with his or her fingers. This however is fraught with the danger of the operator puncturing one of his or her own fingers with the needle and being subject to all the attendant risks of contracting blood borne diseases such as hepatitis B and HIV infections as well as bacterial infections at the puncture site.
Many devices have been proposed to immobilize vascular structures in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,647 to Pisarik describes an immobilizer for blood vessels having grooves of varying sizes to accommodate different diameters of veins. However, like many prior devices that have attempted to immobilize a blood vessel, Pisarik attempts to hold a vein through an individual's epidermis, and, therefore, is not able to hold a blood vessel in place very well.